Alan Wake:The Light Chronicles Book One: Moonlight
by Nickel531
Summary: James Morris,hiker to the extreme, goes to the small town of Bright Falls after hearing about Mirror Peak. However, things aren't as they seem when the sun goes down and all lights are out. Feel free to R&R.
1. Chapter 1

Alan Wake: The Light Chronicles-Moonlight

Written by: Nick M.

Prologue

James was a very experienced hiker. At the age of 14, he and his Scouting crew were a local legend for being able to hike with amazing endurance. When they heard about Mirror Peak, shadowing the quiet town of Bright Falls, he just couldn't help himself. His Scouting Troop decided on a week-long hike exploring the heavily forested area around the Cauldron Lake. He was so excited.

Growing up in New York City made it hard to find any wild life. But that didn't stop James Morris. At the age of 9 he had explored every single nook and cranny of Central Park, but he wanted more. His mother died when he was 10, and his father, not wanting to be in a place full of memories, moved to the quiet town of Berkshire. He quickly adapted to life there, and persuaded his father to join Boy Scouts with him. He became extremely capable in wilderness survival, and soon was on his way to climb the huge mountain that was Mirrors Peak.

Chapter 1

The huge American Jet stream 747 was rumbling over the giant expanse of forest that carpeted Washington. James was sitting comfortably, his dad fast asleep in the seat across the aisle. He looked so peaceful, more than he had the last few days. Mr. Jonathon Morris had extreme anxiety ever since The Night.

"Hey James, did you see that?" his annoying, yet loyal friend Ronnie jolted James out of his thoughts.

"What is it now?" he replied, somewhat annoyed, as this was Ronnie's first flight, and he thought everything was amazing.

"We just flew through the biggest cloud I have ever seen!" The amazed 14 year old said.

"Whatever," James groaned," Look it is getting late. Why don't we call it a day?"

"Sure," Ronnie said, already yawning, and within the minute, was fast asleep.

James laughed quietly at his easy going friend. He returned his attention to the book in his lap. It was Sudden Stop, a crime thriller written by the famous Alan Wake. James had first come upon the series by accident, and had read them very eagerly. Although he had read this one a year ago when it first came out, he couldn't have enough of Alan Wake's style. But he was no eccentric fan. Just a lover of good books.

He stroked the worn spine of the novel, before closing it and placing it in his carry on. He checked his watch. Almost 11:30. They still had another 6 hours of flight before they hit Seattle. From there they would take the taxi to Bright Falls. He glanced over at the other scouts on this trip. There were 14 in all, plus 5 adults. Two of his closest friends, Jack and Andy, were also asleep, being too far away to plan for what they were going to do.

He set the digital alarm to ring at 5:15, if the pilot didn't wake him up first. He turned off the reading lamp above his head, and shut the blinds. Excitement bubbled up in his insides. Quietly he began to repeat a soft speech he had learned when his mom had been alive.

"For he did not know. That beyond the lake he called home. Lies a deeper ocean green. Where waves are both wilder and serene. To its ports I've been. To its ports I've been."

With the last word said, like most times, James fell into a deep sleep. But unlike most nights, this sleep harbored one to the worst nightmares ever.

The dream started like the others. He was living back in his apartment in New York City, living happily with his mother and father. They were so happy together. James was sitting in the living room, watching the T.V.

"Honey!" he heard his mom yell, although it was muffled. "Time to eat!"

"Coming mom!" James yelled. He dashed into the kitchen. But that was where the normal dreams ended and the new nightmare began. Standing in the kitchen was a lady clothed in mourning garb. A black veil hid her face, yet James felt as though he was being stared at with cold, dark eyes. He instantly had the feeling that she was far from being nice.

"Come," she spoke in old, weary voice that hinted a darkness beneath.

"Why should I?" James said, letting the rebellious side show.

"You dare defy me?" The Black Lady spoke, which switched from whisper to growl. A dark shadow filled the kitchen, quickly making the kitchen turn into a suffocating prison of pure darkness. James, not normally fazed by the dark, bent over, feeling an increasing pressure on his body. Just as he was about to black out, the darkness faded as quickly as it came.

James looked around, confused as he was in the middle of a dark tunnel. On both sides he saw a faint glimmer of light. "What the…" James whispered, looking around at the pointless dream he was in. In the distance he saw two blurs. They must be people, James thought. He had found that he could easily interact in his dreams than most people. "Hey!" James yelled, his voice echoing throughout the tunnel. He saw them shift toward him. "Hey!" he yelled again, "Can you help me? Where am…" He cut off as the sudden appearance of lights made it look like a headlights before they snuffed out as the speeding car smashed into the two people.

James looked in horror as the driver got out. James blinked, thinking he saw the bodies disappear. He was just imagining, he thought. They couldn't have disappeared. However the following scene made him scream inside. He heard the driver yell about where the bodies were. But then the unexpected happened. Even when they were far away, James could see everything. The two people stepping out of a swirl of what looked like smoke. The two that were supposed to be dead. He saw one bring up the axe, the red stain glistening in the far light showing it had been used before. The object smashed down on the unsuspecting drivers head. The body crumpled to the ground. The other person brought a shovel onto the drivers unconscious body. He was dead before the shovel lifted.

That broke James' trance. He began to backpedal, turning around and screamed as he dashed down the tunnel. He looked back and saw the two figures turn to him. Even though he was far ahead, he heard them scream in demonic voices.

"What do we have here? A peeping tom!"

"State Laws exclaim that unless involved, bystanders may not examine punishment!"

James screamed even louder as they sprinted at inhuman speeds towards him, lifting their weapons as though they were mere sticks. He tripped over a loose rock smashing into the asphalt. He felt pain on his elbow and knee. In a stupefied trance, he touched the wound and found his hand bloody. He turned around in time to see a hatchet thrown at him. He dove to the side, the steel head sending sparks into the air. The figures were nearly on him, both weapons raised. "No!" He screamed as the axe began its downward descent. He waited for the killing blow to be struck.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, an extremely bright light exploded above James. He managed to glimpse his assailants. They looked like normal humans; well, as much as psychopaths were normal. They seemed to have a shadowy outline, which began to burn away as the light grew stronger. They both flew back, their shadowy shield destroyed, to explode against the wall. James, bewildered began to back away to the tunnels end, which was extremely close to him.

"Don't worry. I am not going to harm you." The shining ball of light spoke in a comforting voice. "These creatures are pure darkness, and are extremely dangerous."

"And you are telling me this why?" James questioned.

"To arm you for what is about to come. Remember that in the darkest of places there is always a light."

James began to wonder what the heck was happening. By this time they were at the end of the tunnel. Looking beyond the lights range, James saw one of the shadow people.

"They are called the Taken, and are possessed by an evil presence. I believe you met it earlier."

James suddenly remembered the Black Lady and how she brought him here. "So that Black Lady was it?"

"Not the lady but what is controlling the face!" The light said forcefully. "I do not have much strength left. Here, take the light."

In a stereotypical way, a flash light was brought down from the sky to rest on a nearby rock. James walked over, noticing the light was fading. He picked up the torch, the cold metal cooling his hand. He clicked the button, pleased with the high powered beam that shot from the tip.

"OK. Quickly point the torch at the Taken. Since they are possessed the Dark Presence, they cannot be killed without the shadow shield destroyed. Any light will do but I am running out of time!" James quickly blasted the light at the shadowy puppet. It screamed in agony before dashing towards the source of light, James. The 14 year old boy began to feel weak, putting all his energy into squeezing the button of the flash light. He could see the Taken having the shadows torn off the killer's body. It roared, just about to tackle James and end his life when a pop sounded and the Taken was thrown back. It smashed against a tree, dazed.

"Quickly now." The Light said urgently. "The shadows may be off of it, but it is still the enemy! It cannot be saved. You must kill it."

As the light spoke, a hand gun appeared on the rock where the flashlight was. He picked it up, its heavy frame pressing into his palm. It was a heavy caliber revolver, used by hunters to take down bears.

"I can't kill it," James protested.

"You must," the light said, which was fading. "Before it kills you."

Taking this last comment into effect, James raised the handgun and fired. The high caliber bullet slammed into the thing's chest. The stopping power halted the charge as the creature did a flip. It smacked into the ground and disappeared in seconds. He stared, amazed at the area where the body had been. This is the weirdest dream ever, James thought.

"Good," the Light exclaimed. "I must leave now, for the darkness is too powerful."

"Wait!" James yelled. "Don't go!"

"Just listen. For he did not know. That beyond the lake he called home. Lies a deeper ocean green. Where waves are both wilder and serene. To its ports I've been. To its ports I've been. Do you understand?"

"No… Wait? How do you know that? I thought my mom made that…"

"Remember that in the darkness there is light."

And with that the Light presence that had protected James left in a burst of light. James had never felt so alone since the Night. He shined the flashlight's beam around the abandoned street. He noticed something as the light passed over a rock. He quickly brought back and saw a florescent yellow symbol of a torch. He walked over to it and lightly touched it with his battered fingers. Is it paint? James thought. He got a little closer when he stubbed his toe on a hard object. He looked down at a small box, about the size of a shoe box. He lifted the metal lid and saw what was inside. He grasped a long cylindrical object. He showed the light on it. Flares. These might be useful, James thought. He reached down and pulled out a couple of batteries and a few rounds for the handgun. Someone had been looking out for him. He walked back onto the main street and began to walk towards the bay.

For some reason he knew safety and shelter would await him there. He began jogging, his sneakers thumping against the dark asphalt. He climbed over a ridge and saw what he wanted. Just below the hill was a power plant, it's bright, electrical lights shining below. James began to head there when something happened. He had watched Spider Man when he was younger and knew about Spider Sense but this defied even that. It was like a sixth sense or instinct made him duck and roll to the side. It saved his life too. A hammer slammed into the ground where James had been a second before. He whirled around to see a Taken, grinning maliciously. "Always wear a hard hat when on site," it cackled, lifting the hammer for another blow.

James, scared beyond his mind, shoved the torch in front of him and squeezed the button. The flashlight's light seemed to intensify, sending the screaming Taken to its knees. James didn't let go until he heard the pop, then he leveled the pistol at the recovering puppet. Before he pulled the trigger, however, his sixth sense kicked into gear, making him somersault to the side as a hatchet came flying into the injured Taken's chest. It disappeared. James turned around, expecting another axe to come flying for a head. What he saw was worse.

At least five evil people were all crowded together. They began to sprint at James. Outnumbered, with less than three shots left, James did the sensible thing. He ran for the light. He sprinted, hearing the evil laughter of the possessed minds out to kill them. He rummaged around his belt, and fumbled with the flare. He was so scared he dropped it. It flew to the ground. James fumbled with another, this time making it light. He turned around of the assailants, watching as the backed away from it. He was within sight of the power house now. He turned to look at his attackers, and dropped the flare.

A huge tornado of pure darkness was raging towards him, sending globs of what looked like oil in every direction.

"You think we will quit?" A demonic voice roared.

James turned tail and ran. Just to his left a massive beam slid into the ground like a hot knife through butter. He jumped though the security gate and headed towards the door. The massive oak doors that sheltered the light were pushed open the boy as he clambered inside. He looked out the window to see the tornado coming closer. He jumped back expecting to be killed when an incredible thing happened. A wall of light struck the tornado, disinigrating it on contact. The darkness was defeated for now. James slumped down on the chair, grateful for the shelter.

Suddenly the lights shot out, and darkness shrouded the room. James was aware of something in here with him. Something dark. Something evil. Something with an axe. Said axe began its downward arch as James let out a scream.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

James shot up, smashing his head against the overhead ceiling. He moaned in pain, holding his head with one hand while checking his pulse with the other. His head would likely bruise but that was the least of his problems. "What the heck was that all about?" he thought, his head throbbing. The dream, or nightmare, was extremely realistic. He could even remember the blood on his hands, and hearing the Takers, or whatever they were, laughing. He shuddered as the ending came into play again.

"Hey," a voice broke into his thoughts, "turn off the alarm already, we're all awake." James glanced over at his best friend, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. Ronnie looked like he had slept like a baby, which was surprising. "You look like you didn't sleep at all," Ronnie said, looking worried at James. "What happened, did you have a scary nightmare." The tone quickly turned from worried to joking.

"Yeah, but you have never had anything worse than this." James said. Ronnie looked around to wave at his mom. James quickly wiped some sweat off his sleeve.

"Alright passengers, we will be landing in Seattle Airport. Seattle is the big…." James stopped listening. He clipped the seatbelt onto his waist and sat back. Ronnie's mother was smothering, or as James called it, overprotective. She went with him where ever he went, which got annoying. It didn't help that she thought every other boy was the devil.

"You ready," his dad said, a smile on his face.

"What do you think?" James said, also smiling like an idiot. There were very few times like these ever since the Night. He looked out the port hole for the window, watching as the wilderness melted into a bustling downtown metropolis. Slowly the plane touched down on the tarmac, making a tremendous thump as the plane settled to a stop.

James was starting to think this would be an extremely boring trip. Three hours of being piled into a taxi took its toll on him. Especially since he was jammed in between the two jocks of troop. Chad and Danny, both brothers, were the only kids in the Scouting troop that actually played football. And they made sure to remind all the others of that. There is only so much some could take of moronic laughing and stupid jokes.

Acres and acres of pines surrounded the highway that the convoy was on. James looked at his watch. 8:42. He groaned in agony. This was too long for a city boy. Patience he told himself. Patience. He pulled out his laptop. Technically he wasn't supposed to have one, but having your friend's mom come along would help. She was staying at the lodge and would hide it for him while he was camping.

He opened it up, and looked for a moment at the screensaver. It was a pretty old picture, at least five years old. It was a picture of his mom and dad, with him in the middle. It was one of the last things to remember his mom by. He opened up the internet, and opened up Google. He wanted to know as much as he could about the surrounding area. It was kind of a tradition. He typed in Bright Falls. He began his search.

Finally the taxi pulled to a stop in front of a diner. "Alright, this is where we stop," the cab driver said. James closed the laptop, and slipped it into the manila envelope labeled "Med. Info." It was dirty, he knew, but it was the only way to get tech into a camping trip. In addition to research, a lot of the kids here would love to surf the net. He stepped out of the cab, extremely tired and stiff. He swore he could feel every bone is his body crack as he stretched. Ronnie trotted around the group of Scouts stretching. James looked around, trying to find his dad in vain. Must have hit the diner. Ronnie came over, excited.

"So, you ready?"

"Sure," James said, not understanding what the big deal was. Bright Falls seemed pretty tame, the last big thing was a moderate eruption that created the modern Cauldron Lake, and sent a mine out of business. It was one of those rare, small towns where everyone knew everyone. A place not touched by the evils of modern day cities.

"Scouts! Gather round!" The troop leader, Mr. Jacobson, yelled. The crowd of tired scouts gathered around, getting strange looks from the locals.

"Everyone into the diner!" the scout leader yelled. "Time to eat!"

That got most of the kids moving. There was nothing better than food for a lot of Boy Scouts. James looked up at the diners sign. The Oh Deer Diner. Of course, James thought with a smirk. He had read that it was a small town diner.

"Hey Ronnie," James called over to his friend, who looked like he was going to have an anxiety attack.

"Oh my god," Ronnie exclaimed, obviously excited. "Have you ever seen such a small town?"

"No. But I highly doubt that this is the last."

"What is it then?" Ronnie asked, slightly put down.

"Sit by me. I want to show you something."

They walked into the diner. In the middle of the room was the main bar. A tall, lanky girl was behind the corner, staring dreamily at a life size cardboard cutout of Alan Wake. A smallish man, wearing what looked like a Ranger's uniform, was downing cup after cup of black coffee. Two strange men were talking in very strange voices, often talking about being rock stars. James wondered about their sanity. They were led to one of the booths around the room.

"Hey Mr. Jacobson?" James asked the leader. "Do you mind if me and Ronnie sit over there?"

"I am afraid you must have an adult supervising you," Mr. Jacobson replied.

"I will," Ronnie's mom, Ms. Lonard, said. Man, James thought, she just always has to bust in. He hid his annoyance by heading to the booth.

"Just let me freshen up," Ms. Lonard said. She walked towards the back into the restrooms.

Ronnie sat down in the bench opposite of James.

"Alright, what is this about that we need to have our own private seats?"

"This," James whispered, pulling out his book, "Sudden Stop".

"You brought me over here for a book?"

"No," James said, losing his patience. "I brought you over here for this." He pulled out a thin, rectangular object, his touch screen phone from out of the book cover. He tapped it and opened up a web page. It showed a police page filled with the lists of unusual things that happened in Bright Falls. He had found it as part of his obsessive researching.

"Look," James said, handing Ronnie his phone.

"What is it," Ronnie said in a bored tone. He seemed to want to get food before talking about some random fact about a town he was raving over five minutes before.

"Listen," James said, taking the phone back. "In the past three months there have been sixteen disappearances, several vandalisms, and stalking reports."

That got Ronnie's attention. "So we are camping around a crime town like your book?"

"Who knows," James said, glad he told Ronnie. This would make the trip more interesting.

"This trip will be more fun," James said.

"Why is that?" Ms. Lonard. She eyed the cell phone. "No electronics allowed." She plucked it right out of James' hand.

"Hey!" he yelled, catching Ronnie's sympathetic glance. The waiter came over, stopping the argument from getting worse.

"Hello, my name is Rose. Welcome to the Oh Deer Diner, may I take your order?"

"Yes, I will have the Rose's Soup and Salad with…" Ms. Lonard was cut off, much to her annoyance and James' amusement.

"Oh my gosh! Is that an Alan Wake book? I must have read that book seventy-two times! I love that book so much! Are you are Alan Wake fan too?" Rose blabbered on, and wasn't going to stop soon.

"Excuse me, I have to go," he said, wanting to get away from Rose. She seemed nice but couldn't shut up. He walked around the bar, passing the two old men. They seemed to be talking about Norse Gods and rock. One was wearing a black bandana while the other elder had an eye patch on his right eye. Already some of the boys were using the old jukebox in the corner. Jack, one of the scouts, slapped the machine in frustration. I suddenly played the song that he wanted. As he headed to the hallway that the restrooms were in, he was stopped by an old, frail lady. She looked like she was scared out of her wits.

"Be careful boy," she said in a worried tone. "The lights back there need to be changed!"

"I think I will be safe ma'am," How many nutcases were in this town? He opened the door. He didn't really need to use the room for its purpose. He needed time to relax. He took some water and splashed it on his face. He looked in the mirror. Ever since the Night, he had become more and more tired. He had various ways of combating it. He fingered the object in his pocket. It was an old fashioned pocket watch that no longer worked. The only reason he didn't throw it away was it was the last physical thing left by his mother. He popped it open and closed. It was his way of thinking. He stared back at the mirror. That is when all heck broke loose.

His face was quickly replaced by one of an old lady. She was extremely pale, had black hair pulled into a bun. Her tight lips were pursed in anger. He could barely see through the black veil that hid her eyes and most of her face, but he could see that they were almost black, radiating with bitter cold and evil. And she was wearing funeral garb. This was the lady in my dream! James realized. "Stay away from here," she whispered, but the words roared in his head with anger and malicious tones.

Just as soon as the words were spoken, the face disappeared. The lights flickered. James jumped out of the door, the encounter scarring him. Just then, all the lights in the hall blew out, glass showering James as he dashed out. Unknowingly, he dived into the main area as a second light group shot out just behind him. He was breathing heavily, and just noticed that all the eyes in the diner were centered on him and it was deadly quiet.

He laughed nervously, looking at the embarrassed faces of his troop, the questioning eyes of the locals. But when he looked at the frail lady beside him, she had a look of absolute horror. She whipped out the object she was carrying the entire time. It was a lamp.

"I warned them to change the lights. They should have listened," she muttered, looking from side to side as if a murderer would jump out of the window. He looked over his group. They were beginning to leave. His father was already leaving, probably going to the campsite. They all would leave early. Because of him. He caught Ronnie as he was leaving the building. He needed to get the cab that Ronnie was taking.

"What was that spaz attack about?" Ronnie demanded. It was uncharacteristic of James.

"Let me explain," James said, throwing open the door. The adult in front told the driver the location and they were off.

"Last night I had a nightmare," James began, but was cut off by Ronnie.

"Ohhh. A nightmare! That's horrible. Next you are going to say we are haunted!"

"Let me finish!" James said, annoyed. "In the nightmare a lady in funeral garb was in old apartment. I had never seen her before but she demanded I go with her. She then made it so dark. I was in a tunnel when a guy hit some people. They killed the driver and then went after me. I was saved by a light when I killed one of them. You need the light to kill them. I woke up.

"Are you high? Did you drink something bad?" Ronnie inquired.

"Listen!" James was about to blow up. "In the bathroom the lady showed up in the mirror. As if that wasn't bad enough, when I came out, the lights went hay wire and blew up!" James rubbed the spot where a shard had cut him.

Ronnie looked at him for a minute. Then a smile crept over his face. James couldn't believe it.

"Nice try," Ronnie laughed. "Man, if you spice it up, you might be able to scare a lot of kids on the camp."

"So you don't believe me?" James said, exasperated.

"Of course not!"

James was at his wits end. Something was happening. There was no way that the lady was some figure of his imagination. Maybe in his dream but not in reality. It was like the sane world was beginning to crumble. He also remembered the dream and the men. Those psycho shadow men… the Taken he remembered, and the disappearances were not a random happening. Or was it. James had gone through a lot. And the idea of Shadow men killing in the night, weak to light was pretty far out. Something in a book or a movie. Never in real life. He spent the rest of the ride down to Elderwood National Park Visitor Center in quiet, listening the Ronnie drone on and on about what he was planning to do. Finally the cab rolled to a stop in front of the center. As the kids piled out, James needed answers. And what better way than to do that than ask a local?

Everybody went inside, staring at the mammoth "Buck Toothed Charlie." James discreetly followed the parents outside. They needed the registration forms from the Ranger. As they were signing, he went over the park ranger.

"Hey. My name is James Morris. I'm with them," he said, pointing at the group of adults.

"Name's Rusty. What can I do for you son?" The man spoke in a friendly way.

"I was wondering where some awesome places would be," James said, hoping to gain any information at all.

"Well. There is the entire park," He laughed at that part. "But there is Lovers Peak, which has a fantastic view. There is Mirror Peak. Good climb. The Coal Museum is really cool. Oh and Cauldron Lake…."

"That's where the volcano erupted!" James exclaimed in a eager voice.

"Yes. I see you studied before coming here,"

"Yep. I did. Well thanks!" James yelled behind him as he ran to the group. The entire troop was splitting up into groups.

"Ok. So Chad, Danny, Ronnie, Andy, Jack and… James, you are a group," Mr. Jacobson said.

"What!" James groaned. Although he had most of his friends, they had the two idiots of the group.

"All of you will stay together in a group. Ok and the rest of you are group…"

James' group was already huddled together.

"So. Where should we go?" Andy asked. He was one of the smartest kids on the trip.

"Let's hit the town!" the two morons suggested. "Maybe we can get food and have some fun!"

"We're here to explore, not stay in the town idiots," Jake whispered under his breath.

"I have an idea," James said. All eyes were on him. "Why don't we explore Cauldron Lake?"

"I agree!" Ronnie exclaimed. Good ol' Ronnie.

"Let's go then!" Jake yelled as the six boys piled into the two cabs with the three adults. The ride up to the lake was relatively uneventful. The two taxis pulled to a stop on the dirt road that led through the undergrowth to the lake.

"You guys go ahead," two of the adults said. "We'll get the rental cars." That left the kids and Ms. Lonard.

"OK. We will all go together. Let's first start by going down the trail," she said.

James groaned again, although he wasn't the only one. Sometimes he wished he could push her into a lake or something. Just to keep her quiet. They walked down the gravelly trail. The cool shade of the trees was very nice from the beating sun. Soon the trail led to an open platform overlooking the great Cauldron Lake. A thin mist still hovered over the waters. A single board with information was on the edge. James went up to and read.

"Cauldron Lake was and is a popular place for those in the Bright Falls area. However in the 1970's…" the rest was smudged off. Must be one of the vandilisms, James thought. The group followed a side trail that led around the platform and to the lake's edge. The murky waters were filled with darkness, however everyone could tell that it was extremely deep. James looked to the side, noticing a lone cabin, standing on an island.

"Hey Ronnie!" he called over to his friend, "What is that?"

"Oh cool! A cabin!" Ronnie whispered. By now they had stopped, their group heading further down the trail.

"Let's check it out," James whispered excitedly,

"But it doesn't look like it has power."

"That is why man created the flashlight," James said, pulling out a flashlight the size of a small remote. The two walked across the battered bridge that led to the cabin.

"Bird Leg Cabin? What kind of name is that?" Ronnie said, voicing James' thoughts.

"Don't know," James said, walking on the front porch. The old floorboards squeaked under his feet.

"Are we supposed to be here?" Ronnie said in a nervous voice.

"Is there anybody here?"

"No,"

"Then it is ok," James said. Messed up logic, but it worked. With that he tried opened the old door. It didn't seem to be locked. But it seemed as though something was holding the door closed.

"Ronnie give me a hand," James grunted.

Ronnie came over and pushed with all his strength. Finally, the door crashed open. A flash of light quickly subsided. Must be the sunlight, James thought. He clicked on the flashlight. The beam shot across the room, catching dust. It seemed well lived in, as the furniture was very neat. Maybe someone lives here still? James thought, worried.

"This is boring," Ronnie whined.

"Then stay here I need to check something."

James began to check the house. The kitchen was furnished, but had dust on everything. Same with the living room. Maybe I was wrong, James thought. Maybe no one lives here. He walked up the old stairs. At the top there were two doors. He chose the one on the right. He pushed open the door. Inside was a neat bedroom. The bed was neatly tucked into order. A nightstand held only two items. A book by someone called Thomas Zane, and a photograph of a man and woman kissing in wedding dress. Must be Thomas Zane and his wife. James put the picture down, but placed the book into his hoodie pocket. He exited the bedroom and headed to the other room. That must be the study. He walked in.

It was mostly empty except for a single desk with an old type writer on it. Weird, James thought. He went over and tapped a button on the old writing tool. Biggest mistake ever. He suddenly became aware of how the flashlight and the light from the window snuffed out. In the darkness, he became aware of another person. "Ronnie?" James whispered nervously, turning around. Behind him was the same lady that would not leave him alone. Before he could say a word, a sudden force threw him against the far wall. He slumped to the ground dazed, the flash light at his side. He was aware of the lady standing over him. And the increasing pressure on his body. Just as he was about to black out, a voice hollered out. "In darkness there is Light!" It was the voice in the dream. With all his strength, he reached out with his hand, gripped the flashlight, and aimed it at the lady. He squeezed the trigger as hard as he could. The light seemed feeble in the crushing darkness, but the wraith like hag began to back away. The once crushing darkness folded back. "This isn't over," the darkness screamed, before disappearing. The light from the window returned. James sat there, breathing like he had held his breath for minutes. He knew that if he didn't panic, he would be the most heartless person ever.

A few seconds later, Ronnie came through the door.

"It got dark down there," he said timidly.

James glared at him as though Ronnie had just insulted him.

"What?" Ronnie said, when eyed the type writer on the desk. "Oh cool! I have never seen a real one of these before!"

James snatched Ronnie's wrist before he could touch the evil thing. He dashed out the door and out of the cabin without letting Ronnie complain. As he sprinted off the bridge and shoved Ronnie through behind a tree, he glanced back. In the failing sunlight, he glimpsed the cabin becoming surrounded by a haze of shadows before plunging into the lake. He saw the face of the Black Lady in the window as the entire island slid into Cauldron Lake without a trace.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"What the heck was that about?" Ronnie demanded, dusting off his jacket as they made it back to the cabs. "Let me guess. Another outlandish encounter with the ghosts of Bright Falls."

James was getting very sick of Ronnie's nonsense. It seemed as though the sane world was being ripped apart as the events span more and more out of control. And nobody believed him. He decided to ignore Ronnie and get back to the troop.

"I'm not going to even try," James said, heading up the steps that led to the over look. There was a crowd of people there.

"Oh my gosh! Where were you Ronnie dear?" Ms. Lonard moaned, giving Ronnie a bear hug.

"We just went exploring."

"And where were you?" James' dad scolded, looking at his son.

"We explored the cabin on the lake!" James said. "Is that against the rules?"

"What are you talking about nerd?" Danny said, guffawing at his "humor."

"The cabin. It's right ther…" James said, pointing at the spot where the cabin used to be. Now there was nothing but waves.

"Are you pulling some kind of trick?" Mr. Jacobson said, his face beet red. "Or is this an excuse on why you left your group for an hour!"

"We weren't gone for an hour!" James protested. "Only a couple of minutes!" Ronnie was staying quiet, no doubt not wanting to look like an idiot.

"There was no cabin! See." Chad snickered showing James the billboard that held the information. The last part held a very important piece of information.

"_In the 1970's the volcano erupted, forming the present day Cauldron Lake. The mining industry was destroyed, as well as a small rental cabin out on the lake…"_

James felt the blood run from his face. Mr. Jacobson just shook his head.

"Let's all just go back to the cabins," he sighed. "This will all wear off with a good night's sleep.

James piled into one of the rentals with all his friends. He stared glumly out the window. This trip was starting to turn extremely upside down.

"You believe me right?" James whispered to Ronnie.

"What I believe is that we went farther than you thought. No way a cabin could just disappear."

Leave it to Ronnie to make no sense. He sounded like he was trying to convince himself. The rest of the ride was uneventful. They made it to the cabins.

"Alright!" Mr. Jacobson yelled above the talking of the boys. "Same groups we split up in!" This was greeted by groans.

"Go to your cabins and get ready for food."

The group grabbed their stuff and headed towards cabin two. Usually before big hiking trips they were treated to luxuries such as food and a place to sleep. James trudged up the stairs.

"We call downstairs!" Danny and Chad yelled at the same time.

James, Ronnie, Jack, and Andy all plopped onto their beds, too tired to talk. James heard ESPN, meaning that Chad had found the T.V. Slowly James sat staring at the ceiling. Suddenly a horrible pain smashed into his head. Scenes flashed by. One of James and his three friends fighting against unknown attackers. Another was of the Lady in Black staring down at him. The final however was one of the easiest to remember. Alan Wake, the esteemed author, was holding a small object and dived into the dark, moving depths of Cauldron Lake. A man in an old diving suit was standing behind him before disappearing.

James opened his eyes. Jack was holding him up while Andy brought water. Ronnie was looking worried in the background. A splash of unnaturally cool water hit his face, bringing him out of his daze. He shook his head.

"What was that for!" He demanded.

"You passed out," Jack said, concern etched on his face.

"What?" James said. He couldn't believe it.

Before any of them could answer, there was a knock at the door. That was likely Mr. Jacobson.

"Coming!" James said, getting up and running to the door. He didn't want to look weak. They all piled into the blue rental and headed down to the town for entertainment. They pulled back in front of the Oh Deer Diner.

"No funny business," Mr. Jacobson warned.

"Sure," James murmured, embarrassed that he brought up the subject. It hadn't even been twelve hours. The entire troop crowded through the doors. All the kids settled with their friends and began to talk about random things. James walked over with his friends, ordered from Rose, and began to eat. For a while it was quiet, nobody talking, just worried about eating the food in front of them.

"So, what was that incident about?" Andy inquired, a look of curiosity on his face.

"I don't want to talk about it," James mumbled. Coconut began in the background as some of the boys figured out how to work the jukebox. They began to dance like idiots. The four friends finished their meal.

"Hey James?" Andy said, breaking the silence again. "Can I see your computer?"

"It's back at the cabin," James said, watching as Mr. Jacobson got up. They were getting ready to leave.

"Oh," Andy said, disappointed. "Can I see it when we get back?"

"Sure,"

"Ok Troop!" Mr. Jacobson yelled. "Time to hit the road! We have a busy day tomorrow!"

"Come back to the Oh Deer Diner!" Rose called as they left the restaurant.

"Tim!" the parent driving James' group yelled to Mr. Jacobson. "I need gas! We'll meet you there!"

"Ok!"

They all got into the blue car. For a while they stayed with the convoy before peeling off down the road. The glare of gas station hurt James' eyes. As they neared, he could make out the sign above the garage/ convenient store. "Stucky's Gas Station." Very creative. He waited in the car as their driver filled it up with gas. Chad and Danny were joking around in back.

"So, can you wait for tomorrow?" Jack asked.

"No," Ronnie replied. He was obviously excited.

"Alright!" the driver exclaimed, slamming the car door shut. The engine revved as they drove on. James began to doze off as the followed the moonlit highway. He woke up when a dark shadow blotted out the outside lights. They were in a tunnel. His three friends were talking about what they were going to do. They were talking about swimming in Cauldron Lake, hiking up the Mirror Peak, maybe even sneaking out to Lover's Peak at night. The two jocks were talking about football. James never had a huge interest in that kind of stuff. He was right about to doze off again when he saw something that bothered him.

It was sort of like a shadow as they passed out of the tunnel. He barely saw it. It was just to the right of his vision. It was just moonlight on the lamp pole, James thought. But do shadows grow that big? It was beginning to dwarf the lamppost. It was swirling like oil on water. Probably my imagination, James thought as he dozed off. Suddenly his eyes shot open wide with fear. He remembered where he had seen this. It was des a vu to the max. He had seen it in the place where he first saw the Lady in Black. In the dream. Before he could warn anybody, the thing slammed into the side of car.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The next few moments of his life were fuzzy. He remembered the car rolling into the shoulder. The screeching of metal pounded against James' ears above the screams of the kids and adult in the car. He was aware of the swirling darkness pulling away, getting ready for a second, finishing strike. After that it would be over.

The car was upside down. James undid his seat belt, falling onto the ceiling. He groaned in pain. He felt a tap on his shoulder. He swirled around his heart beating. It was only Jack.

"What was that?" he croaked. He had a cut on his lip.

"Just get out," James groaned, feeling his head. It had a warm, sticky liquid plastered to it. Blood, James thought grimly. He dragged a now panicking Ronnie out the door while Jack grabbed Andy out, who was in a sense of shock.

"I'm so sorry," Ronnie was mumbling. "I should have believed you James. You were right."

"Ronnie snap out of it," James yelled. He didn't need someone who was useless now.

"Jack!" Andy said, getting wearily to his feet. "Chad and Danny!"

James realized he completely forgot about them. And the adult.

"Come on Andy!" Jack yelled, heading for the car with the brainiac. A few minutes later they came back, dragging the two huge boys towards the shoulder of the road where they were waiting.

James was about to go and save the adult when he saw something horrible. The shadow storm was tearing down the road towards the car. He raced forward to the car window. The mass was nearly on him. He looked inside the shattered window. The adult was far from looking slightly injured. Multiple, deep cuts crossed his entire body. He could see a few ribs poking out from the shredded shirt. A piece of glass was embedded in the man's stomach. And half of his face was shredded off. James quickly lost the battle to stop himself from puking. It was a wonder they had survived at all!

He pulled himself together, looking for the glove box among the debris. Finally he found it, and tore open the door. He was glad for the first time sense the day began. Inside was a survival kit, which included a first aid kit, a flash light, a road map, a flare gun, and a couple of road flares. He was never so happy in his life. He quickly looked out the window. The darkness was nearly about to swallow him. He shoved all the items into his sweatshirts pouch and dived out of the way. And just in time too. The whirlwind assaulted the car. James had thought that the adult was dead, but he heard horrible screams, then silence.

He walked over to the group of stranded kids in a state of shock. Even though his dad was a worker at the local morgue and his mother had died, nothing could prepare him for that. Someone was actually killed. And by something they couldn't explain. Chad and Danny were just coming to. Ronnie and Andy were crying in shock. Someone they knew just got killed. Jack walked over.

"What the heck…" Jack was cut off.

"James behind you!" Ronnie screamed.

Before James turned around, he heard something he never wanted to hear in his life.

"Stay in a group and don't wander off!" the demonic voice cackled.

James spun around, all ready leveled at the driver, who was holding a survival machete that they had bought at the store. Shadows peeled off then stuck to his body. He was surrounded by a ton more of those psychopaths that didn't seem to die. They began to advance.

"They're coming!" Jack yelled backing up.

James aimed the only flare gun at the group. He couldn't kill all of them in one hit. But that is what would let them survive. Then he saw his chance. He swung his aim to the side a bit. Jack saw this.

"What the heck are you doing," he screamed.

James ignored him, aimed quickly, and then pulled the trigger. The flare shot out of the barrel, the gun pushing his hand back from the recoil. Time seemed to slow as the flare twisted in its path. It passed slightly by the Taken group. And then it slammed into the car fuel section. The flare blasted into a ball of bright red light. The back of the group were instantly disinagrated. The Taken in the back were melted into small pops of light.

But then the best part came. The place where the flare hit was right where the gas tank was. The rental exploded into a great ball of fire. It rose into the air like the biggest flare on earth. So much for returning it, James thought in a random spell. The wave of heat and light swallowed the group, including the once parent that drove them. They were instantly died. The heat slammed against James, making his hair fly up as it hit. After it was all done, he turned around to the group. Everyone, including Chad and Danny who had woken up, were staring wide eyed at James. After all he was the one that had killed all those people. But then he turned around with them.

Normally there would be the smell of burning hair and skin. Bodies would be charred beyond recognition. But there was absolutely nothing. Not a finger of dead person was shone. Jack was the first to get over the shock.

"What the heck was that?" he yelled, pointing at the area where the car and Taken were.

"You really want to know?" James said, taking out the items in the pouch of his hoodie.

"From the beginning."

"Then let's talk while we get the heck away from here."

The group soon began to head away from the site and tunnel, towards the cabins.

"Alright here it goes," James said nervously as he passed out a flare to each of them. He turned on the flashlight, letting its beam light the way. "On the plane ride out here I had a dream." The two jocks sniggered at the pun from Martin Luther King. How could they laugh at a time like this?

"First I was in my old apartment. My mom called me into the kitchen, but in it there was an old lady in black clothes. She told me to come with her but I said no. Then she made the room go dark and then I was in a tunnel. In that there were things like this. They killed someone then went after me. I was saved by… some light or something like that. It killed them off then told me that they are called the Taken. The Taken are controlled by something called the Dark Presence and must be killed. But they need to be weakened by light first. Hence why I grabbed these." James said, gesturing to the flares and flashlight. "Then you can kill them. After that I ran to a power plant with a ton of light. Something was there that I needed. Then I woke up," He stopped to take a breath. "At the Oh Deer Diner when I went back to the restroom, I need to cool off. I saw the Lady in Black in the mirror. I dashed out and then all the lights blew out. And at the lake…"

James saw a couple of shadows flitting about the trees on the side of the forest. They seemed to be holding weapons in their hands. The Taken were stalking them. And they were about to strike.

"Everybody get ready!" James yelled, the flashlight beam darting back and forth as the shadows advanced out of the tree line.

"Hiking can be a fun and challenging experience!" One yelled as it sprinted for Ronnie.

"Ronnie! Light the flipping flare!" James and Jack screamed. Jack seemed to catch on with James almost instantly. Ronnie fumbled for a second before lighting the road flare. Red flame burst from the point, making the Taken shrink back from the light.

"Run!" James yelled. The group sprinted down the highway towards a faint light in the distance.

"Why are we running when they die in light?" Danny yelled.

Jack spoke first. "If I grasp from what James said, they only fear light and it weakens them. It doesn't kill them."

"Only strong light," Andy said, remembering the flare and its power.

"Right!" James said, surprised. Then his sixth sense type of thing kicked in, he dived to the ground and did a somersault. So it wasn't just in the dream, James thought. And a good thing too. A hunting knife whizzed past his head, grazing his cheek. It wouldn't kill but it hurt. Jack threw his lit flare at the following killers. They screeched, and then sprinted at inhuman speeds to get around the flare's reaching light.

"Get up," Jack said; heaving James up and they began to run away. The light was so close, maybe 20 meters. But the Taken were right behind. James spun around, and squeezed the flashlight button as hard as he could. The "intensified" beam hit the first Taken sending him back a bit. Then he turned around and sprinted for the light in the form of an abandoned truck headlight. Just as he was expecting the killing blow, he dodged into the light. He expected his entire body to explode in pain as the axe ripped him apart. But it never came. He was safe. He and his friends, for the first time that night, were safe.

"Where did they go?" Ronnie murmured.

At least he was speaking, James thought.

"Don't know," Jack said.

"Maybe they can't enter light," Andy suggested, "And we can't be hurt while in it."

"That's crazy," Ronnie spoke.

"Considering the events I would believe that." Jake murmured.

The Danny and Chad didn't speak ever sense the crash. Although they were basically the troop's bullies, he had to feel bad for them. But it wasn't like this wasn't any harder for them. Pity is a magical thing, James thought. And that is what he felt for the two brothers.

"We had better stay here for the rest of the night," James suggested. Even though he had the most experience, (If you consider a dream experience,) he didn't like the idea of running around this heckish forest than anyone else. James and Jack left the others in the extremely bright, yet comforting glare of the headlights while they salvaged the car.

"More likely than not I just killed the driver," James justified.

It turned out that it was one of those hunting trucks that was chock full of crap. They found three heavy duty revolvers, one shotgun, a hunting rifle, and ammo for all of the weapons. They also found an abundant supply of emergency flares, and several flare guns and torch flashlights. Everything to fight the dark long enough to escape.

And they needed it. Not even after a half an hour of sleep, the headlights burst. Great, James thought.

"Let's go!" He yelled. He had already supplied every one with a gun. The shotgun in his hands felt good, like the lightning bolt of Zeus. Jack and Ronnie each held hunting rifles, and Andy carried the five flare guns. Chad and Danny each held the handgun. Everyone had a flare.

"Run!" Jack screamed as a Taken advanced.

James and Ronnie both leveled their flashlight beams at the possessed creature. The creature's shield was dispatched very quickly. Chad shot it several times before it died. Its body disappeared. None of them had actually killed before. James had, but in an indirect way. Now they had just killed someone with a gun.

Jack, as always, recovered first. A Taken sprinted towards them, which he dispatched with a torch light/ hunting rifle combination.

"Guys! We need to move!"

James grabbed Ronnie and Andy to their feet and ran off, the two athletes right behind them. James threw a flare in front of them, which they quickly passed. Everyone took potshots at the now weakened psychopaths.

They kept on running. By now they had acquired quite a group of Taken following.

"We need to take out some of them!" James yelled, turning around to dispatch a shadowy puppet.

"Agreed!" Jack replied, speaking for all of them.

As they climbed the ridge, they spotted a likely spot. It was an outpost. The white legs kept the box house above normal level. There was an elevator for the handicapped and winding stairs around the side. The top had a radio antennae sticking out of it. A light bathed the area outside in yellow brightness. It was the perfect place.

"Right there!" James yelled, heading for the stairs.

As the group ran past, Chad dropped a flare at the foot of the stairs, casting the survivors in red light. The Taken shrieked in pain and rage, for their targets were still alive and behind the source of light. Jack bashed down the door, leading into a small radio studio. It was empty, but had a bed, and more importantly, a phone and radio transmitter.

James stood on the stairway, noticing that the flare was going down.

"Andy!" he yelled desperately.

"On it!" Andy yelled as a shot from the flare gun shot through the window and exploded in the middle of the group.

However, more and more of the Taken were being drawn to the scene. The Dark Presence wouldn't want anything to be wrong. These threats must be eliminated. James and Jack were standing on the top stairway landing, firing down on the Taken as they climbed the stairs. Andy would fire at large groups while Ronnie was trying to find anything of use. Chad and Danny were backup.

"Reloading!" James yelled, pulling back through the doorway as Chad took his spot, fired off, then pulled back. It was amazing what instinct to survive would do to people.

"Hey James!" Ronnie yelled. "I found the phone!"

"Call someone!" Jack yelled, firing point blank with the rifle after weakening the Taken.

"Who?"

"911!" James screamed, throwing a flare at the base of the stairs to give them some room to breathe.

"Yes we are…NOOOO!" Ronnie screamed.

"What is it?" Andy asked as the lights in the outpost went out.

"No power!"

"Really?" James said sarcastically.

Jack squeezed the torch light as it peeled away the shadow skin of the Taken in front of him before pulling the trigger. The possessed puppet flew back, flipping over the guard rail. He pulled the trigger to get nothing. He was out of ammo.

James fired again, sending a Taken over the edge and to fall twenty feet below.

"Chad! Give me your gun!" Jack screamed.

Chad must have been deeply affected by the events as he threw the hand gun to Jack. In a fluid, Hollywood move, Jack caught the revolver, turned sideways, and shot. The bullet didn't even hurt the Taken in front of him, but the heavy bullet at point blank shoved the body back a few feet. But that was enough to center his torch's beam on it to finish it off. James thought that even if they kept this up, they would become the Takens' next log of the log pile to be cut.

Then he noticed something. Not even five yards ahead of the elevator doors was a generator. The main line was chopped in half but a backup line was left unharmed. It wouldn't get full power but it would do enough for the phone.

"Ronnie, take my spot!" James yelled, yet again spending another shell into the Taken's body.

"Why?" Ronnie asked.

"Just do it!"

"What are you doing?" Jack asked, still concentrating on killing the Taken.

Before he could get an answer, James dashed through the room and into the elevator. He took aim and shot the controls. It was a stupid move but it worked. The elevator shaft spread towards the ground. Even though James braced himself, nothing could prepare him for the hit. Every single bone in his body was jarred as the container hit the ground. No bones were broken amazingly. I must have a guardian angel, James thought as he pulled out the flare. He ran forward, using it as he ran. The Taken shrank away from him as if he was a deity. He dropped the flare by his feet, pulling another out before setting to work on the generator. He revved it several times. Come on! Come on! Finally it rumbled, and he heard Andy's frantic voice as he called 911. The flare was dimming down. He felt a hand grab his shoulder.

He spun around to look in the sightless eyes of one of the Taken. He waited for the killing blow, but it never came. The Taken seemed to be deciding. Suddenly, darkness surrounded him. Just like what happened back at the cabin, scenes flashed before his eyes. The murky waters of the lake held the old lady. An army of Taken was shone. Alan Wake was seen jumping into the lake. Suddenly the diver suit man appeared.

"Barbara!" it yelled, before James was brought back into the real world. The Taken seemed to have run off.

"James!" Ronnie yelled, running for his friend. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine!" James said, although he felt like he could puke, which he did. He found he was missing his gun as well as his flares.

"Didn't want the cops to find those on us," Jack said, knowing what was on his friend was thinking. And not a moment too soon. James didn't know how he couldn't hear them at first but a police cruiser, siren blaring. Two police officers stepped out of the outdated car, one a man with a thick, brown mustache. The other was a woman with raven black hair. She had a commanding air about her.

"What happened to you?" the sheriff said, worried at the sight of the teenagers in their beat up, scratched up.

"What happened to the entire building?" the man, who must be the deputy, yelled. He was staring at the numerous holes in those windows that were still intact. The elevator car was smashed against the ground, doors torn open. The railings leading up were all but intact from the shots that they had fired. And there were no bodies. How? James thought to himself.

He could see Ronnie and Andy about to cry from exhaustion. Jack was staring at the ground in a dull manner. Chad and Danny were doing likewise. James thought about how he was. He felt detached. Granted, he was affected like the others were, but not to an extent. Just like a psychic who can tell when someone they know dies, they are sad, but at the same time have "at least I knew" kind of grief. He was experience was almost exactly like that.

He just shook his head in resignation. This was way too powerful than he had imagined. His entire body shook with exhaustion and shock.

"Hey kid," the sheriff worriedly said. James didn't catch the last part. It seemed as though he was going to pass out.

"We need to get these kids some help now!" the Sheriff turned around to the deputy.

"There probably just faking it so they don't get in trouble," the man smirked as he helped James into the car. Darkness began to set in. His vision began to blur. He felt two people sit beside him in a similar state. Then, the welcoming darkness set in.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

James felt his head. There was a thin line where a knife had nearly made his face into a fillet. Blood was starting to ooze from it again. His entire body felt clammy as he pushed himself up into a sitting position. His limbs felt extremely stiff from not being able to use them. And his mouth tasted like crap.

That was when he first became aware of his surroundings. He was in a dark room with a single light bulb that was turned off. As far as he could tell, he was alone. He was lying on a mattress bed in the corner of the room. The light from a window told him it was still night out. He tried to remember how he got here, but it was all a blur. He didn't notice the door open until it tapped the wall

He looked up, expecting to see someone, but there was nothing. The empty, dim corridor led straight a bit, and then veered off to the right. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, James thought as he slid off the bed. He began to walk down the hall, his shoes creaking on the old floorboards. The place was barely decorated except for a blurry picture every three feet it seemed. He walked into the main lobby, which was empty. It was like a ghost town.

"Hello?" James yelled, needing to talk to someone. "Jack! Andy! Ronnie! Anyone?"

Suddenly he saw something flit around on the top of the stairs. He followed it up, when he came in front of a desk. On it was a single typewriter and a stack of papers. He approached it cautiously, picking up the pile. He was just about to read it when it happened.

He felt a searing pain down his collar bone. He had barely heard the ten pound axe come smashing into his neck. He felt and heard the sickening slurp as the weapon was pulled from the now heavily bleeding wound. James felt his knees buckle as he fell to the floor. The ground came up the meet him. The thud of his body seemed distant, like a different part of the world. He noticed two things before he was dead. One was the smiling Taken about to send the axe head into James' skull. The other was a light that was coming from a diver suit helmet. He heard the words smash into his head before the axe did.

"Don't forget light!"

James shot up, hitting his head on the cruiser's low roof.  
"Watch it!" the deputy yelled, a look of disgust on his face. Jack was asleep, with Ronnie looking worriedly at James.

"Are you ok?" he inquired.

"Yeah. Just a dream."

The look on Ronnie's face was evident. The last dream had ended up coming partly true and Ronnie had ignored it. Now he wouldn't ignore it.

The car pulled into the Bright Falls Police Station. By now the sun was just rising above the rectangular building. The police car pulled up to an identical one, which held the sheriff and Chad and Danny. The metal door was locked shut from the inside.

"Look you punks," the deputy growled. "Sheriff Breaker might think your innocent, but I know a troublemaker when I see one. Just remember, one slip up, and I will make sure you spend the rest of your trip in a cell." And with that, the malicious deputy opened his door and let the boys out. This is going to be crappy, James thought. Nothing like having a cop out for your blood. The crisp morning air blasted against his skin, sending shudders through his body. They walked through the double doors, and passed a cheerful looking woman at the desk.

"Welcome back Sarah," she exclaimed happily.

"Hi Juniper," the Sheriff said, waving hello to the lady behind the desk that James assumed was Juniper.

They were led into a conference room in back. It was empty except for a man looking out the window. He turned around to look at the new arrivals.

"Ah Sheriff Breaker," he spoke in a slick voice like a business man. James didn't like him at the start. "Doctor Alban had a family accident so he wanted me to take his place."

"Whatever." Sheriff Breaker said, obviously not liking him either. "We just need these kids patched up before sending them back to the cabin.

"Ok," the doctor looked hungrily at the boys, as if they were a treasure.

The door closed as Sheriff Breaker left the room.

"My name is Doctor Emil Hartman. I run a clinic above the lake. So, exactly what happened?" the doctor murmured as he walked around the long table in the center of the room.

Before James could give any of them a sign to lie, Chad spoke in a hurried voice.

"Some creatures attacked us last night!"

"Is that so?" the doctor inquired, a trace of a smile on his face. "Please tell me more."

This time Chad got the picture and stayed quiet.

"Kids. I am here to help. You can tell me or I might have to talk with your guardian to have us meet at a later time."

The thinly veiled threat was ignored. They knew what would happen if they went. It was the loony barn for them.

"Alright. Let's get the checkups out of the way."

Hartman began to apply salves for the cuts and stitches for the more serious ones. After he was done, he tested their eyes with a small flashlight.

"Very good," he said as Ronnie's eyes reacted to the light just as he wanted. He then moved to James. "Now try to not blink." He shined the small light into James' eyes. He felt as though he was slapped across the face. The pain wasn't unbearable, but he flinched away from the light that was causing him pain.

"What the heck was that?" James yelled, rubbing his sore eyes.

"Just a normal flashlight," Hartman said, the faint smile on his face growing a little bit bigger. Was this guy laughing at his pain? James thought.

"Whatever. Can we go?"

"Yes," Hartman said, before pushing his chair back as he stood up. "I will be expecting you soon to my clinic. All of you."

The boys walked out of the conference room and headed over to the main area.

"Did Hartman give you a bad time?" Juniper asked.

"Yeah," Danny said, cutting off anyone else.

"Let me get you a ride back to the cabins." Juniper smiled as she picked up the phone.

"What was up with the flashlight?" Ronnie whispered to James as the group idled around the door.

"I barely even care anymore about anything strange," James murmured, too tired by the past night's experience to talk more.

"Alright then," Juniper said, ending the call. "Sarah and I will drive you back to the Elderwood cabins. "Would one of you fine boys go get her?"

"I will!" Andy said as he quickly walked back into the hall. The rest of them walked out front by the two cruisers. Andy came back a few minutes later with the raven haired Sheriff. And he had a horrible look on his face.

"Ok, which cabin do you stay in?" Breaker commanded, yet not in an evil tone.

"Cabin Number Four," Jack stammered, struck by her commanding aura.

"Let's go then."

For the second time in the past twenty four hours, they piled into the cop cars and began to drive.

"Andy," James said, leaning over to his friend. "What happened?"

"Nothing,"

"Bull. How many people look like they saw a ghost just because they need to see the sheriff?"

"Ok. But you have to promise to tell no one."

James nodded.

"Something grabbed me. It was like someone just knocked out the lights, and then I felt hands on my neck. They were frail and old, but the intention was clear."

James nodded in recognition. He knew how that felt.

"Hey kids," the Sheriff said. "Did you know what happened to a Mr. Mark Henry? He was filed for missing along with you guys."

James was suddenly struck with shock. He couldn't remember who he had killed as a Taken, but that must be the driver. He had just killed one of the kid's parents. He could be put into jail for life for that kind of stuff. Or the asylum.

"N, No." he stammered.

The look on Sheriff Breaker face told him she knew that he was letting on less than he knew. She knew he was lying. The rest of the car trip was uneventful, and soon they were pulling into the area where the rest of the scout group was gathered. The worried looks on all their faces told him that they thought the worst of all scenarios. But never this bad.

All the boys slowly exited the cars, looking around nervously. In an odd habit, James looked at his watch. 10:30. He followed the others as they approached the group. Suddenly, Ronnie made a mad dash for his mom, nearly crying as they embraced. Ms. Lonard gave James a look that could kill. James glared back. How the heck was this, his fault? Like he wanted a demonic army from a horror movie to chase after them.

He realized that his feet had brought him to his dad. This tears that were beginning to form in his eyes matched his dad's as they gave each other a bear hug. Andy was doing the same to his dad, while Chad and Danny were surrounded by friends. Maybe it was a dream. A sick, horrible dream. This is how a normal life should be. That was when the last thing he wanted to hear happened.

"Dad? Dad?"

It was the poor boy whose father they had just destroyed.

"Yes," Mr. Jacobson replied, his relieved look replaced with one of questioning. The group that just survived the ordeal looked at each other with a sad look. Mr. Jacobson caught it, grasping what had happened. At least what he thought had happened.

"Oh god," he murmured, a look of pure disbelief on his face. "What happened?"

Jack was the one who answered in between near sobs.

"There was an accident."

That was all it needed for the kid to break into hysteria, his eyes like dams that broke, letting loose water. Almost all the adults flocked to him, comforting him. James knew it would barely help. There was just too much pain. He had experience.

Most of the group involved looked away. They knew what the real truth was far too painful than this. James walked away to the side with Jack and Andy. He motioned for the two others to follow. Ronnie couldn't follow. Ronnie's mom would probably never let him out of her sight for the rest of her life.

James stopped underneath a patch of trees. Their shed pine needles littered the ground. There shade and isolation was perfect for the following. He felt the shadows begin to shorten as noon crept up. Time flew by.

"I don't know what the heck happened!" Andy broke down, kneeling as he wept.

"Neither do I," Danny murmured, his head hung low.

"Let's try to forget it," James suggested, getting looks of shock at the suggestion.

"How on earth are we supposed to forget this?" Jack nearly screamed.

"I said try,"

"We might as well try," Chad murmured the look of resignation on his face. James stared in disbelief. Was he actually agreeing with him?

"Whatever," Jack muttered, walking back to the horrible scene. James went over to Chad and Danny.

"Look," he said, embarrassed. "I'm sorry for kind of holding a prejudice against you. I was wondering if we could start again as friends." This was worse than swallowing boiling oil. But it had to be done.

"Sure," the two boys said wearily, holding out their hands.

"James Morris," James said, taking each one.

"Chad Emerson," Chad said.

"Danny Emerson."

"Good," James said, walking back to the group and to the real world.

James was sitting back at the cabin. He was on the bed staring at the ceiling recalling what had happened. Mr. Jacobson had told the group after they had escorted the boy to a calm atmosphere that they would be leaving in two days. No hiking was allowed. He groaned, his head aching from stress. Somehow he couldn't get it through his own head that it wasn't his fault that the kid's father died. Was it him? He was the one who shot the flare gun. Then again, the dad was coming after him with a survival machete!

"Hey James!" Jack said, tapping James on the shoulder. "Snap out of it."

"Was it really our fault?" James asked, a pleading look on his face.

"Well…" Jack was cut off by James' phone ringing. Wearily he took it out of his pocket, glad for once that day that Mrs. Lonard had given it back. He checked the caller id. The luminescent blue background made the text stand out. UNKNOWN. This got his attention. Only his friends and family knew his phone number. And if annoying telemarketers called, it usually showed as a 1-800. This was neither of those two possibilities. He cautiously picked it up on the third ring.

"Hello?"

"Shut up and listen and try to act normal. I don't want anybody but us to hear this."

"Why?" James said, trying to look as normal as possible.

"I know about what they are. The Taken. You want to find out the events, and then you had better meet me at the Nature Center. One of my friends will be there." The line went dead.

"Who was it?" Ronnie asked.

"Mr. Jacobson," James lied. He didn't want whoever it was to get angry. "I need to ask my dad something."

He quickly walked downstairs. The wooden stairs nearly tripped him. Not this time. He quietly passed the two brothers, who were snoring. The T.V. was on. Then for a second, just a second, it switched. It showed Alan Wake, flashlight in hand pointed at something. Then ESPN was back on. James quickly hurried out the door. That definitely wasn't the strangest thing that had happened, but it was insane. That picture breaking through one of the most popular TV stations?

James pulled out the torch from his hoodie's pocket. The fresh, yellow glow penetrated the darkness. He knew well enough that nobody would let him go on this trek. The events, coupled with the growing suspicion that something was against them, made it impossible to even visit the trees out back for fresh air. The gravel path crunched under his shoes as he made his way to the Nature Center. He could feel the darkness trying to scare him away. The tall, intimidating trees were staring down at him.

He felt a buzzing in his pocket. He pulled out his phone, the same mysterious number on it. He answered.

"How much longer are you going to keep me waiting kid?" the same harsh tone started.

"As fast as it takes me to walk there!" James growled, equally annoyed.

"Wait? You're walking!" the voice screamed. James caught on to what he was meaning. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed a couple of blurs circling him like land sharks.

"I'll try and make it as soon as I can," he yelled, before hanging up on the caller. He whipped the torch around at one of the blurs, forcing it to stop in its tracks. The Taken screamed in pain, a grimace etched onto its face as it tried to round James. It started to back away, when James felt something tackle him. "Damn" James thought. There were two.

The flashlight flew out of his hands, clattering against a tree across the clearing. It sputtered out, and was lost to the darkness. The Taken that tackled him raised an object that looked strangely like a crowbar to smash in James' head.

"Let's play whack-a-mole!" it howled, swinging the crowbar down.

James rolled to the left as the weapon crashed into the ground where he had been seconds before. He stumbled to his feet, and dashed down the path. He heard the curses of the Taken right behind him, spurring him faster. Out of the corner of his eye, James saw the tell-tale swirl of darkness. More of them were coming. He would be dead if something didn't happen. His body jerked to the side on its own, narrowly avoiding a hatchet. His footfalls pounded on the loose gravel as he tore up the path. As he crested the hill, he saw something that made him feel safe.

A derelict building was nestled in the valley. Nature had overrun it, with moss growing up the sides and vines spreading through windows. It wasn't that far either. James sprinted down the path, more falling than running. He burst out of the trees and made a dead run for the giant metal doors. He could make out a road leading away. But that didn't matter. He just needed to survive. He wasn't looking as he ran straight into to forming Taken. They were as surprised as he was, for the fell back as they fell in a tangled mess. James was up first, and tried to jump away as a shadowy hand burst out and grabbed his ankle. "Get off," James snarled, turning around a kicking at the demonic face. He somehow managed to break free, and sprinted to the warehouse.

He burst inside, looking around. The moonlight filtered through the broken glass to illuminate the scene. Discarded boxes and old newspapers lay about. An old radio was standing quietly next to a… just what he needed. James ran over to the old generator, hoping to God that it worked. He cranked it once, listening to the ancient thing sputter. The door burst open, announcing the Taken entering. Only a few more seconds. He cranked again, with all he might. Still nothing. "Third time's the charm," James thought, cranking it one last time. His arm never made it to full stretch.

A force, not Taken but still dark, threw him across the room. James had the distinct feeling of flying as he crashed through the one window with glass on it. He smashed onto the asphalt, and rolled. James back felt on fire from the glass, and his entire body was scraped to a bloody mess. Darkness was starting to overtake his vision, blurring the figures around him. "I want him Taken," a cold, cruel voice whispered. They nodded and formed into the fog. James suddenly screamed. His pain was increased drastically as he became Taken. Every sense he had was magnified to feel the pain. His head snapped to the side, and to James' horror, saw his arm having the swaths of shadows on it. He had no control of his body at all as it rose in the dark whirlwind. First his hands, then his arms, and finally his chest were slowly being transformed by the dark shield. His brain felt like it was being ripped apart, which technically it was. Dark thoughts began to root in it, leading to a murderous desire to kill. James began to give up. Fighting would make it longer. As he felt the darkness begin to take control, he looked along the road, becoming blinded by two fast approaching lights. Were those headlights? James thought, before the car slammed into him and the Taken. He sailed through the air, and landed with a distinct pop on the pavement. The blackness came again. His vision swam as he looked at his arm. The shadows were leaving him. Darkness overcame him as he stared at a man approaching him wearily…


	6. Chapter 6

**New one's up. Be expecting them every week or so. I don't own anything except the OCs. **

Chapter 6

His dream was not as happy as James wanted. He awoke to find himself in the cabin again on Cauldron. It looked a little less worn down than last time, with no cobwebs in sight and slightly new furniture. The light overhead put a warm, yellow light on the living space, casting long shadows behind chairs and tables. The dust was little to none. A feeling of security began to creep into James' mind.

"Good," whispered a cold, grave like voice that sent a chill racing down James' spine. He span around, fists ready for a Taken. But there was not a thing in sight. Fear replaced security as James began to search the cabin for its occupants. The kitchen was chillingly empty of all life. He went to the hallway leading to the stairs, half expecting one of the freaks to jump out in an ambush. He looked on the oak coffee table where a piece of paper was sticking out from beneath a heavy book.

He lifted the book, and grabbed what turned out to be a newspaper, and an old on at that. Underneath the Bright Falls Times heading, the faded date was still readable. July 11, 1970. He unfolded the yellow paper to the front page. It seemed to be the only object in this room that was affected by time. His time at least. He stared at the front page news, eyes opening wide in amazement and fear. It bold letters, "**Barbara Jagger, Age 25, Died of Accidental Drowning at Cauldron Lake**"

James began to read the first sentence when a dull thump reverberated around the cabin. It had come upstairs. Dreading what was to come; James shoved the crinkled paper inside his hoodie pocket and crept slowly up the stairs. Each one emitted a sharp creak, adding to his discomfort of this place. He rounded the railing, and walked down the small hallway. James suddenly realized something. These were the exact steps he had taken when he was here last time.

Suddenly, a loud pop and sprinkle of glass broke all the bulbs. The hallway was plunged into a deep, depressing dark. His breaths shallow and quick, James opened the door that led to the study. It was dark like the hallway, yet different. It was malice and cruelty in this room. James stepped in, and was pounded by a feeling sickness. His entire body convulsed violently, and pain swept through it. He tried to scream in agony, but nothing worked. It was as if someone had wrapped his body in a freezing cold chain.

The pressure in the room plunged, sending painful pops into James' ears. It seemed as if the darkness in the corner was swirling around into a figure. My mind isn't working right, James thought panicky. Finally, the Dark Presence walked out of the corner. The woman from his nightmares stood silently, eyeing him like a dog before it rips into meat. Everything was the same, from her funeral attire to the cold, black orbs that served as eyes. The only difference was, James thought, she was soaking wet. Her dress clung to her body, and pieces of swamp weed clung to her like leeches. Or were those… If James could have, he would have shaken his head. He didn't want to think of that. She opened her mouth, but no sounds came out. The Grave Lady seemed to be talking to someone behind him. He attempted to listen, and was surprised to hear voices drifting in his mind.

"Barbara, you must see…" The strange voice whispered. James had heard it before, but did not know.

"He has been Touched, and is in my domain as well," said a strange demonic voice. James assumed it was the Grave lady, or Barbara.

"He must be let go," the same, calm voice said.

"Leave!" the demonic voice screamed, and a wall of desolation slammed into James. The voice must have been blown away, as no reply was said. The Dark Lady stared coldly at James, as if knowing that he was listening. She began to circle him slowly. "Why is it you resist?" she said coldly, each word piercing his brain like a dagger. "Why is it you do not wish to be Taken? Great things shall come to you." She passed in front of him, holding his stare. He could feel something tugging at his willpower, trying to break it down. "You do not have long," the demonic voice whispered in his brain. "We could make it easy and painless."

"I'd rather not," James muttered, as he was slowly gaining back his senses. He could just move his fingers, and was working on his legs.

"Then we shall see soon. If we cannot persuade, then we shall force," two voices screamed. Suddenly, Barbara twitched and threw herself in a dark cloud, at James. He screamed in fear, and held up his hands in protection. His last thought was he had gained control of his body.

James yelled in fear, shooting up the bed he was laying on. He struggled with the sheets that seemed to be holding him down. Sweat was drenching his back, chilling it to the bone. His eyes darted around the room, half expecting to see Barbara appear from the shadows and finish him off. He suddenly felt the deep, disturbing fear affect his stomach. He twisted himself out of the sheets and dashed to the bathroom. He burst in, and vomited several times. What was up with his dreams? He thought.

Finished, James looked up into the mirror in amazement. His body had not a scratch on him. It seemed as if flying through a window and onto pavement had not happened at all. He was looking amazed at his arm when he heard a gruff grunt behind him. He looked into the mirror, seeing an older aged man behind him. His messy, brown hair was growing long over his ears. His face looked like it had seen better days, and was not well-shaven. The man's eyes were disturbing, having a blank, disturbingly dull side to them. James wondered if the man was a Taken, and if so, should run away. The man had an outdoor's man vest and sweater on. In his hands were a small first aid kit and some food.

James turned around slightly, staring into the dull eyes. The man threw him the items with a rough "Your better." He then turned away to leave the room. James followed the man, a million questions about to burst through.

"What happened to me? Sir? Sir? Why am I here? Who are y…?"

The door had slammed in James face. He heard a sharp click by the doorknob. He rattled it, attempting to leave. Damn! It was locked. James looked around, surveying the room. The bed was situated in front of a small T.V. A small kitchen was housed near the back, with an old oven and refrigerator. Not much use. James stared out the window, watching the sun rise over the valley. It lit up the mountain tops nearby in a beautiful splendor. James fell back on the bed and put his hands in his pockets. Suddenly, his eye's shot open in disbelief.

His fingers closed around a crumpled piece of yellowed paper. It seemed ancient to the touch. He pulled it out, staring blankly at the ink heading. Bright Falls Times  stood out just like it had in the dream. He looked dumbly at the faded text, reading to try and find anything of use.

"_Barbara Jagger, age 25 died yesterday of what police say was accidental drowning. Jagger was in the Bright Falls area with Thomas Zane on vacation. Interrogations of Zane say that he told Jagger of a treasure beneath the surface of Cauldron Lake. Police are trying to figure out if this is a suicide or an accidental death…"_

James scanned the rest of the article, which just contained useless information about the funeral and quotes from relatives. So this was the enemy. Barbara Jagger was what the Light had called that demoness. He didn't know how it would help, but it was a start. He got up from the bed and walked over to the small bookcase. He began to search the titles when a sudden tap on the window broke his concentration. A small boy with shortcut blonde hair peered at him in interest. His pale blue eyes seemed unmoving as he stared in.

James slowly stood up and walked over to the window. Maybe this kid would help him, James thought. He'd have to be careful though. Luckily, James had dealt with Ronnie's little brothers constantly. This should be easy…Maybe.

The hunting jacket seemed to envelop the kid, giving him a slightly comical appearance. His face was smashed against the glass as he tried to look in the dark lit room.

"Hey!"James said, trying to sound calm. "My name's James. What's yours?"

"Danny," the boy said hesitantly. James cursed. He might scare Danny off.

"Do you know who the man who locked me in here is?" James smiled creepily. He didn't mean it, just the stress.

"He's my dad," Danny muttered, standing straighter. "And I'm ten, so stop talking weird."

"Where am I?" James asked, looking outside at the forest that surrounded the small cabin.

"Dad says that the doctor's coming," Danny said, ignoring the question entirely. "He comes here every month to check us up." James was worried. He hated doctors in this town. They seemed to hate him.

"And who would that be?" James asked, dreading the answer.

"Mr. Hartman. He's really nice. All he does is ask if we've been having fainting spells and shines a light in our eyes." As soon as he said it, Danny stared terrified at James. "You're one of them," he whispered in fear before turning and sprinting towards the main cabin.

"No! Wait! Damn!" James screamed, smashing his fist into the table. His knuckles throbbed, but he didn't care. How was he supposed to get help when everyone ran away? His phone was long gone, having been taken by that brute. He angrily went back to his search of the bookcase for anything. He was awarded with a thick tome on the local legends of the Bright Falls area. It would take ages to find anything of importance. You're locked in a small room, James reminded himself. He dropped the book onto the bed and began reading the contents.

_Intro…1_

_Pre-History…..13_

_1900s-1950s….155_

_19560s-Present…495_

James groaned. This would take forever. He glanced at the crumpled newspaper. It was a start. He turned to the 1970s, and began to read though the events. He didn't have to wait long. It began to talk about the apparent resurrection of a poet love. Now who could that be? James thought, smirking. He was about to pass it up when he noticed a small paragraph near the bottom.

"_For more information on the Dark Presence, turn to page 124…"_

James quickly turned to the number. The text had a picture of what seemed to be a tornado like cloud tearing apart a Native American village. He skimmed the article, picking up that it seemed to be connected to Cauldron Lake and was very dangerous. The lake part was new, but otherwise nothing else. James was about to close the book for real when a small slip of paper dropped out of the ancient pages. It was about to tear apart, and the spindly writing was rapidly fading.

"_To its ports I've been. To its ports I've been."_

James suddenly felt weak. His entire body turned numb, giving way. The bed rushed up to meet him as his vision went.

James woke to the same, empty room. No dream this time, he thought, looking around to make sure no psychotic Taken jumped out from behind a couch. It seemed dimmer, as the sun was setting outside. He got up, and stretched. The food he had eaten earlier hadn't lasted. He ambled over to the bookshelf, and pulled out the Legends book. He picked up the thick book and opened its ancient pages to where it had been. He looked at the picture on the page. It was of a man, probably late twenties with a slight shadow of a beard on his face. His bright eyes showed intelligence, but the weathered face showed much hardship. It seemed so…real. James reached with his finger, touching the warm page to make sure the man wasn't real. Wait, James thought. Warm?

Suddenly, the man's eyes flashed in life. "Run!" it whispered raggedly, sending a chill down James' spine. A sudden pain gripped the base of his skull, forcing him into a fetal position of pain. Stars exploded around him, each sending a surge of pain through his body. His eyesight narrowed to a small tunnel as he struggled to not black out. He screamed in pain, rushing blindly across the room. He crashed over furniture and stumbled into the bathroom. James stared in the mirror in horror. Jagger was staring back, her cold, calculating eyes holding James'. Suddenly, he felt the pain intensify as his soul was torn from his body in a quick, painful move…

James experienced a quick sensation of falling before smashing on the floor. He groaned, trying to remember what the dream was supposed to mean. He realized he must have fallen from the bed in the thrashing while he was asleep. It was unnerving how these dreams were. James cast his eye around the room, which was dimming. Was he still in the dream? He looked out the window, sighting the moon well into the night sky. Shadows seemed to be flitting through the trees, circling the cabin. James was pretty sure he knew what they were.

Suddenly, a loud pop exploded around the cabin, and the lights exploded. The room descended into oppressive darkness. Looks like the Taken are coming, James thought darkly as he searched for a weapon, light or practical. James' heard a sharp crack of a window smashed open, followed by several heart pounding moments of silence. Then he heard something walk across the kitchen. Heavy breathing, followed by a drop in pressure announced that a Taken was in the room. James had to think quickly. If he waited any longer, an axe to the head was all that would be given. He sprang up, seizing the bookcase with both hands. He pulled, muscles straining as he struggled to make it fall through the window. He heard the Taken scream in delight and jump onto the bed. James pulled one last time, sending the heavy wooden shelf smashing through the large window in a shower of pages and trinkets.

He jumped through the frame, and landed in soft grass. He felt good outside, but it would not last. He saw several ominous figures break from the tree line, making a beeline for James. He dashed behind the cabin he was in to an abandoned utility shed. He kicked open the rotting door, and scanned the inside quickly. Time was not on his side. He pulled out a Mini-Maglite, and was about to continue looking when a dark shadow slide over the doorway. James twisted around; shining the light of what he thought was one of the Taken. The thin beam of light lit up the terrified grey eyes of Danny, whose pale face was almost shining in the light.

"What are you doing here?" James whispered, ushering Danny out of the shed towards the main cabin.

"D-Dad said he thought someone was o-outside." Danny stuttered, looking fearfully at the approaching Taken.

"Listen," James whispered, looking at the same Taken. "I need you to go to your cabin and turn on every single light. Grab a flashlight, and wait for your dad to get back. Go!"

James shoved Danny towards the cabin, making sure that he made it to the door. With that done, he sprinted for the tree line, shining his light occasionally to slow down the pack of killers that were following him. No time for heroics, James thought as he made up a steep hill, sending large pieces of shale down at the Taken. He grabbed wildly, trying not to lose his footing and his life. He heard the wild roars of frustration as the Taken followed.

Suddenly, an ice cold hand gripped his ankle. An electric shock ran through James, nearly sending him into shock. He focused the beam of light on the attackers face, seeing the blistering effect nearly send the Taken flying down the slope. James stumbled over the crest onto a highway road, where he looked around desperately. Several Taken were beginning to circle him, making him trapped between them and the slope with even more Taken. James cursed under his breath. This never was easy.

One moved forward, swinging the axe to slice open James' head. He dived to the side, and ducked under the nail board that was swung like a baseball bat. The hollow wood collided with the asphalt, spraying grit around. James turned, focusing the light on a Taken's face, making it scream in agony. It swung randomly with its club, glancing James in the shoulder. He span from the hit, and fell to the ground. A hitchhiker stood menacingly over him, and raised a heavy fireman axe. He was dead. James knew it would somehow end like this. Instinct took over, and he grabbed randomly. His hand curled around the Taken he had burned. Just as the deadly edge was about to crash into James' head, he swung, clipping the axe just beneath the head. It slammed harmlessly into the area inches away from James' head. James brought the flashlight to shine right in the attackers face, sending the Taken off him with a satisfying pop. James sprang to his feet, trying to desperately survive. He dodged a Taken that was trying to grab him, and spotted an opening. He ducked under another axe swing and somersaulted towards the gap. James stumbled to his feet, nearly tripping over them as he made a mad dash down the high way. He heard a strange whistling sound, and felt a fiery pain engulf his thigh. Some Taken had thrown a knife at him. Adrenalin carried him further, ignoring the pain as he heard the blowing of the Taken trying to flank him. As he curved around the bend, he saw it.

He nearly cried in happiness, as a police car was parked in the middle of the road with its headlights blaring full force. The yellow light bathed the road in a warm, pleasant brightness. The Taken noticed too, and sped up, trying to cut James off. He put on an extra burst of speed, running full force into the light. He suddenly tripped, scraping his arms into a bloody mess. He looked down, seeing the smashed pulp of a road kill. But it doesn't matter, thought James. I'm safe! He got up, and looked at the knife wound. It wasn't deep, but bled profusely over his jeans. He tore a piece of his shirt to make a makeshift bandage. He limped over to the police car, which was sitting idle on the side of the road.

"Sir?" James cried to the old man sitting in the front seat. His eyes were staring straight forward, as if in a trance. "Sir?" James asked again nervously. He tried shaking him, but the old geezer didn't move a muscle. "Can you help me?" James was beginning to think that something was wrong. This man might have had a stroke or heart attack. He was cold enough to be dead. Was it the Taken that did this? James suddenly peered around, hearing the low pressure pop of more Taken approaching. He swung the beam of light around the edges of the highway, trying to see the tell-tale signs of them. All that was there was empty air. Nerves, James thought in a nervous joke as he looked back at the man.

Nothing was there. An empty space where the man had been was slightly stirred, as if he had left in a hurry. He looked around inside, making sure the police officer wasn't in the back. Nothing was there, as if the car was just parked on the side of the road. He leaned over the driver's seat, grabbing a gun from the car holster. This could be great, James thought as he got out of the car. He turned around to the sound of a psychotic laugh.

"Guns are not allowed in state parks!" the police officer screamed, a twisted smile on his face. It walked into the headlights, and momentarily stumbled as the full force of the light smashed into its body. James raised the gun ready for the dark shield to be burned away. The crisp pop echoed across the road, and James pulled the trigger, ready to end this. Nothing happened. He looked at the gun, trying to figure out what had happened. He suddenly noticed that the safety was on. He pushed it, but suddenly felt something smash into him. He sailed through the air, and crashed into the side of the cruiser. The Taken had suddenly sprinted, catching James off guard in a flying tackle. He groaned, his body in agony. He noticed the Taken standing over him, ready to end James' worthless existence. James dived to the side as a fist smashed into the car door, denting it with a hollow smack. He dived for the gun, and turned. The Taken rushed him in a mad dash to over take him. But James was ready. Three sharp cracks from the semi-auto pistol and the Taken had disappeared in a murky mist.

James breathed in deeply. At least when he had first fought the Taken, it was with company. Now, he was deep in the wilderness surrounding Bright Falls fighting a paranormal enemy alone. Talk about going against the odds, James thought tiredly. He looked at his watch. It was 12:01. No telling when the sun would exactly rise up. He needed to bunker down for the night. James wearily got up, and walked over to the police car. He shuffled in, and turned on the ignition. Thank the light that the keys were still there. He slammed the door shut, and leaned back when he felt ice cold hands wrap around his throat. Something was strangling the life out of him. He glanced in the rearview mirroring, peering into the dark eyes of a Taken. He struggled, trying desperately to pry the killing fingers off his wind pipe. James' vision narrowed, and he struggled with a primitive fear. No matter how much he battered the dark face, it would not give. His feet kicked the dashboard, when suddenly the inside of the car burst into light. The Taken screamed, releasing its grip on James. James stumbled out of the car, and leveled the pistol at the Taken still inside the car. He fired four shots quickly, shattering the glass and bursting the Taken in a dark mist. He sucked in air greedily, happy to have the ability to breathe again. James realized that no matter what, he could not stay. He jumped in the front, and hit the gas. The car sped down the road, eating up the miles quickly. James barely knew how to drive, only up and down a driveway. Coupled with the fact that he had no idea where he was, things weren't looking good.

Suddenly, a figure burst from the trees in front of the police car. It smiled wickedly, and raised a rusty axe. "Not this time!" James screamed, flooring the gas. The car smashed into the Taken, sending a jolt through its frame. The Taken flew through the air, and landed in a burst of darkness. James kept on driving, not even stopping to survey the damage. It was just too risky. Why me? James thought. What have I done? He looked nervously, ready for another Taken to try and stop the car. But none would come. James rounded a bend, looking at the old stone tunnel that they had passed in when they first arrived. James sped through it, having realized the dangers of utter dark. He was close. Close to safety. Close to comfort. Close to Light. The headlights suddenly burst, and James had the weirdest sensation of falling down a bottomless pit.


End file.
